Washington: South Korea and the United States have discussed efforts to expand space cooperation, including lunar exploration, satellite navigation, and maritime domain awareness, Seoul's foreign ministry said Tuesday. The discussions were part of the fourth Civil Space Dialogue, which took place in Washington on Monday, marking the first high-level talks on space cooperation since the launch of the Donald Trump administration's second term.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the dialogue focused on expanding South Korea's participation in the U.S. Artemis lunar exploration program and exploring potential avenues for Seoul's involvement in ongoing U.S. space missions led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The two countries also discussed ways to strengthen interoperability between South Korea's Korea Positioning System, currently under development, and the U.S. Global Positioning System.
The allies agreed to continue cooperation to ensure safe space operations and promote the long-term sustainability of outer space. Recognizing the importance of maritime domain awareness through space-based assets, the two countries explored ways for related authorities to enhance cooperation on information and infrastructure.
Additionally, the discussions included building a resilient space industry supply chain, focusing on the sharing of component testing and radiation test data. The countries reaffirmed their commitment to promoting peaceful space exploration and agreed to seek trilateral space cooperation with Japan in the private and commercial sectors.